1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a motor vehicle roof with a roof opening which can be closed or at least partially exposed by an adjustable closure element which has an electrical element, and an adjustable headliner element coupled thereto for concealing the closure element.
2. Description of Related Art
Published German Patent Application No. DE 38 30 484 A1 discloses a sliding roof for a motor vehicle in which a sliding cover which can be moved in a guide rail in the lengthwise direction of the roof and which is provided with solar cells is provided with sliding contacts which are in electrical contact with a roof-mounted contact rail in order to provide for electrical connection between the solar cells of the sliding cover and the motor vehicle battery.
European Patent No. 0 488 807 discloses a motor vehicle roof with a raisable cover, underneath which there is a sliding headliner which can be moved independently of the cover in the lengthwise direction of the roof and which is provided with one or more electrical fans. The cover is provided with a solar generator and with a front and a back contact opening into which corresponding contact pins for the fans on the sliding headliner can make contact in order to provide the fans of the sliding headliner with solar current from the cover.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,717,199 discloses a motor vehicle roof with a movable and a raisable opaque cover, underneath which a opaque headliner part is mounted by means of a coupling arrangement such that the headliner part is entrained in the displacement motion of the cover. The coupling arrangement comprises two pairs of a cover-mounted driving pin and a headliner-mounted driving catch part. When the cover is installed, the headliner part is locked to the cover by means of the coupling arrangement. The driving catch part is made to be able to swivel to a certain extent in order to facilitate vertical adjustment and to allow a certain relative motion between the cover and the headliner part when the cover is being displaced.
The object of this invention is to devise a motor vehicle roof with a displaceable closure element which has an electrical element, and a headliner part which is entrained by the closure element during displacement via a coupling element, and in which electrical contact between the electrical element of the closure element and a vehicle-mounted electrical element is easily established.
This object is achieved in accordance with the invention by a motor vehicle roof with a roof opening which can be closed or at least partially exposed by an displaceable closure element which has an electrical element, a displaceable headliner part for concealing the closure element and at least one coupling element which acts as a driver in order to entrain the headliner part in the displacement of the closure element, and furthermore provides for electrical contact between the electrical element of the closure element and a contact element which is provided on the headliner part to establish electrical contact between the electrical element of the closure element and a vehicle-mounted electrical element.
In this approach according to the invention, it is advantageous that, when the headliner part is installed, electrical contact is automatically established between the electrical element of the closure element and the contact element on the headliner part.
The electrical element of the closure element is preferably a solar generator, while the vehicle-mounted electrical element is preferably the motor vehicle battery or a fan. The closure element is made preferably as a opaque cover which can be moved in the lengthwise direction of the roof and which can be raised at its rear edge.
The coupling element is preferably made as a catch and comprises preferably two pairs of a driving pin and a driving catch part. Each pair is located near one of the two side edges of the closure element in the vicinity of the front end of the closure element, i.e., in the vicinity of the pivot about which the cover is raised during the raising motion, in order to keep the relative motion between the driving pin and the corresponding driving catch part low.
Electrical contact of the coupling element is preferably formed by a respective contact surface on each driving pin and a contact surface which engages it in the locked state of the coupling element on the driving catch part. Each pole of the electrical element of the closure element is connected via a cable to the contact surface of one of the two driving pins, the contact surface of each driving catch part being connected via a cable to a sliding contact which is mounted on the headliner part and which can be moved in electrical contact along a roof-mounted slide rail on each side of the roof opening, each of which is electrically connected to a respective pole of the vehicle-mounted electrical element.
One embodiment of the invention is explained by way of example below using the attached drawings.